The Garrison stationed upriver on the lonely mesa, was in a bad state of morale. Just over two years had passed since Kerrigan was assigned here, and soon he would be commander, as the current commander Rollo Thent was returning to Korvosa, and a well earned retirement. Time had not yet washed the bad taste of ineptitude, debauchery, and massacre from the minds of the men-at-arms and things were getting worse.
Since they had started construction on the freshly completed fortress, things had a way of disappearing. It was bad enough supply lines rarely stretched so far as to provide any comfort to the men, but things just downright disappeared, here one minute gone the next. At first this was attributed to a kind of Shoanti insurgency but soon it was obvious that the only Shoanti within the walls had left the nomadic ways of the tribe behind in favor of civilization. Now suspicions turned inward, with the blood Chelaxian's secretly accusing Varisians among them of selling off the supplies in some Sczarni related schemes. The Garrison stationed upriver on the lonely mesa was in a bad state of morale.
Only one man is in a position to solve the mystery of the disappearing goods and possibly redeem himself in the eyes of the men, and that is YOU. The cellar
Rollo Thent had ordered all supplies moved to 2 store rooms in the cellar of the Keep (#'s 2 and 3 on the map) and a guard stationed outside each door additionally he has had a guard post with 3 men set up in the first cellar room (#1) there is a table, a cot, and 2 chairs along with a fireplace. That was yesterday, this morning it was dicovered even more foodstuffs have disappeared from room #3. The guard on duty was Varisian man named Dravis Puln, who swears he saw and heard nothing all night. It so happens that his brother Ecra Puln was one of the 3 men pulling duty in the guard room (#1) so it would seem blame rests squarely upon the Varisian brothers, who are now sleeping in preparation for another all nighter tonight. Rollo Thent has asked you to determine their guilt in no uncertain terms.
You happen to know just a little more than you let on to Thent. It is well known that there is also a crypt a little farther below of ancient origin and an old well chamber that has a dried up cistern. But an old drinking buddy had previously described these ruins to you (when they were still ruins) and you know that down in the capped off well, lies the entrance to other ancient worm eaten passages that lead you know not where.
"I may be old, but you're slow. Now pick up your sword son and let's try this again."
Kerrigan enters the basement carrying two large jugs of wine. To the guards he says "Thent has instructed me to investigate this matter thoroughly. I intend to enter that room and investigate at great length. I think I may begin my investigation by interrogating these witnesses," he says waving the wine jugs "Now, do not let anyone enter this room and interupt my interrogation or I may just find you to be the guilty culprits. Understood?"
At Kerrigan's sudden appearance, the guards snap to, and barely have time to splutter a reply before Kerrigan is thru the door jugs and all.
You happen to know just a little more than you let on to Thent. It is well known that there is also a crypt a little farther below of ancient origin and an old well chamber that has a dried up cistern. But an old drinking buddy had previously described these ruins to you (when they were still ruins) and you know that down in the capped off well, lies the entrance to other ancient worm eaten passages that lead you know not where.
Kerrigan enters the basement carrying two large jugs of wine. To the guards he says "Thent has instructed me to investigate this matter thoroughly. I intend to enter that room and investigate at great length. I think I may begin my investigation by interrogating these witnesses," he says waving the wine jugs "Now, do not let anyone enter this room and interupt my interrogation or I may just find you to be the guilty culprits. Understood?"
Kerrigan's voice drips with irony mixed with sarcasm and salted with a dash of self-deprecating humour as he says the above.
As you proceed from the guard room the smell of fire changes all but imperceptibly to that of ancient stone, a mixture of mold and nitre and the hallway beyond is but dimly lit by guttering torches spaced down the corridor to either side. Ahead lies a door of hoary woodwork bound in black and befouled metal that appears to have stood thus for at least a few lifetimes of men.
Kerrigan, having always preferred the direct approach, attempts to open the door without bothering to check for traps or any of that other 'ooh, look at me, i'm a rogue' type stuff.
Kerrigan, having always preferred the direct approach, attempts to open the door without bothering to check for traps or any of that other 'ooh, look at me, i'm a rogue' type stuff.
The door opens surprisingly easily, without a sound to reveal a dusty, dark, cobweb strewn, stone stairway leading down into darkness. The dim torches of the hallway barely cast a feeble ray into the stygian depths and the silence of the place assaults your ears.
'Dammit,' thinks Kerrigan, 'I'm a soldier not a dungeoneer! Torches. I should have brought torches.'
Kerrigan sees if he can remove three of the torches from the hallway, using one to mark the entrance in case he gets lost, another to carry, and stamping the other out to use later.
'At least I brought some flint and steel.'
The light from the torch reveals a dim stairway extending 20' to a landing, at he other side of which lies another door that appears to be roughly the same age as the first. The eaves are cobwebbed and the dust and grime of at least a century clings to the walls and floor.
Kerrigan strides quickly to the door and then examines the ground to see if it has been moved recently.
It appears that it has. On closer inspection you see that the dust has been disturbed and there are faint tracks of small booted feet, but as they go both ways, there's no way of determining how many creatures may have passed this way. You also note that waht you took to be corrosion on the black metal door-binding is actually some form of foul smelling grease, concentrated around the hinges.
Kerrigan will stow his shield, pull out his throwing axe, and hold his torch in his off hand. Once armed with the throwing axe and the torch, he'll move through the door if possible.
The door opens to another ancient stone corridor running east-west. You face south as you pull the door easily open. To the east and left you recall Rydak saying something about a "dusty ol' burial chamber" and to the west and right a " 'ol well an' n'er ta th' bottom o' wi'ch is a 'idden door ta some ancient ways what seem like they might be oldin some loot"
The door opens to another ancient stone corridor running east-west. You face south as you pull the door easily open. To the east and left you recall Rydak saying something about a "dusty ol' burial chamber" and to the west and right a " 'ol well an' n'er ta th' bottom o' wi'ch is a 'idden door ta some ancient ways what seem like they might be oldin some loot"
Kerkis moves quickly to the left and east towards what may be a dusty old burial chamber. Since stealth is not his strong point, he will tend to move quickly and decisively.
The sound of his own breath grates on his ears in the cloying silence as he makes his way down the ancient passage, the smell of the burning pitch mingling with with the mildewed stone assaults Kerrigan's nostrils. His torch arm and head break through strands of cobwebs annoyingly as he strides forth. After 30 or so feet he stands before another ancient black iron bound portal.
The sound of his own breath grates on his ears in the cloying silence as he makes his way down the ancient passage, the smell of the burning pitch mingling with with the mildewed stone assaults Kerrigan's nostrils. His torch arm and head break through strands of cobwebs annoyingly as he strides forth. After 30 or so feet he stands before another ancient black iron bound portal.
Kerkis tries the door. Again, he doesn't bother with stealth preferring speed instead.
The door opens to an old sepulchre, 25(N,S)x30(W,E) along the north and south walls are 6 roughly 5x10 stone vaults. This tomb is old, but your knowledge of ancient Thassilonia tells you that it is relatively recent, most likely Varisian or Shoanti(less likely). You have seen rough sarcophogi like these at various locales in your travels, and nothing particulatly distinguishes these.
The stone tops of the second on the left(N) and the last one on the right(S) are off and debris is scattered around them. Strangely, the better part of both, the largest and most robust pieces of stone, are all piled on the last sarcophagus on the left, which rest in the NE corner.
Kerrigan will approach the opened sarcophagi. If there is any sconce in which to place his torch, he will do so and draw his shield. If not, he'll keep the torch in hand for now.
You look quickly and discover no where to put the torch. You approach (i'm assuming the the northern middle one, as you'd have to pass that to get to the one in the southern corner.) The open vault and lying within is a what's left of a crumbling human-sized skeleton.
You look quickly and discover no where to put the torch. You approach (i'm assuming the the northern middle one, as you'd have to pass that to get to the one in the southern corner.) The open vault and lying within is a what's left of a crumbling human-sized skeleton.
Kerkis, always being one to do things in a straightforward manner, checks the closest one first. He looks at it cursorily, sees the human-sized skeleton -- 'All is as it should be', and moves onto the next.
As you approach you notice the layer of grime around this vault is disturbed and looking back you clearly see a trail leading back through the room on the dusty floor. The open vault has more crusty remains and strangely it appears to have collected an additional layer of detritus.
Kerrigan approaches this vault with caution, glancing at the ceiling above it before he does.
The sound of moving through the storied grime grates eerily in the gloomy silence. The ceiling is nondiscript stone work. The vault as described is partially full of old remains and random garbage the greater portion of the lid being piled with the other large stones on the vault directly to the north.
Kerrigan waves his torch just above the grime and keeps his sword handy to see if anything reacts.
You notice that beneath the detritus, the bottom of the vault is covered in wood planking, something you haven't seen used in stone sarcophogi before, and it strikes you as very odd.
You notice that beneath the detritus, the bottom of the vault is covered in wood planking, something you haven't seen used in stone sarcophogi before, and it strikes you as very odd.
Kerrigan examines the planks but something gets in his eye.
Plainly these aren't original, and look to be from the same wood used in the fort/keep's refurbishment; and moving the garbage aside to examine them reveals that they seem to cover some sort of opening in the bottom of the vault,
Kerrigan hacks at them with his throwing axe. He works quickly hoping that the noise will be finished before anyone has enough time to pay attention to it.
He easily knocks the loose boards away from what appears to be a small tunnel leading down into darkness. the entrance is rough as if chipped away from below, and small. Someone man-sized in armor would have to stoop to fit and fast movement looks to be a bit of a problem to the trained eye of a soldier familiar the seige/sapping operations.
Kerrigan considers for a moment getting his quartermaster Sirap Hilltown in on this but decides against it. He drops his lit torch down and crawls down immediately afterwards.
Kerrigan drops into the tunnel after his torch, shield arm pulled aside awkwardly and grating against the confines of the tunnel, which runs due east. Garbage from the vault sits on the floor and a clear trail thu the cowebs and dirt leads east. After about 25 ft the Tunnel turns to the south. The tunnel itself is virtually round, and smooth as if some great creature ate, or melted it's way through here, by contrast the hole hacked through to the vault is crude and rough. After the cornerit goes about 10 ft to the south before swooping back east, then south 5 ft then east then south the west, and though disorienting due it's curving nature, it seems you've been swooping back and forth until it turns to the south one last time. You notice the cobwebs starting to get thicker as the tunnel seems to be widening to the south, and they hiss angrily as the torch flickers thru them.
Kerrigan carries his torch in one hand, his sword in the other and relies on his finely honed instincts to alert him of trouble:Perception (1d20+1=21)
Although the strands of web are thickening, there is still a perceptible trail thru the dust on the "floor" of the tunnel. Up ahead it seems to widen into a small chamber and Kerrigan's keen senses, bring a faint squeaking and verminous chittering from in there.
Although the strands of web are thickening, there is still a perceptible trail thru the dust on the "floor" of the tunnel. Up ahead it seems to widen into a small chamber and Kerrigan's keen senses, bring a faint squeaking and verminous chittering from in there.
Kerrigan comes in fast, sword drawn.
The tunnel indeed widens to a small irregular chamber. Strands of web obscure the walls' composition but the floor is ancient worked stone, and the tunnel exit comes out a couple feet off the floor. In the room are 4 large spider corpses, they lie hacked in pulpy pools on the floor their innards forming a sort of a mastic. The source of the chitters and squeaks is also obvious as there are 4 of the largest evil looking rats you have seen, feasting on the arachnid remains. They have as of yet taken no notice of you, intent on their meals.
Kerrigan shifts his sword to his torch hand and throws a throwing axe with the hopes of evening the odds a bit.
Throwing Axe (1d20+5=23, 1d6+3=6)
He then uses his sword to attack the first rat that gets close to him.
The throwing axe cleaves straight thru one rat's skull sparking off the floor with the force of the blow, and you leap out, easily lopping another in twain. The 2 remaining rats skitter forward as a wave of repulsive stench brokers your nostrils, harmlessly bouncing off your armor with a great gnashing of oversized incisors.
Kerrigan attacks another one of the rats with his longsword.
The last rat left after Kerrigan obliterates another one with a deft chop, squeals mindlessly as it attacks. The filthy thing some how gets its toothy maw into an exposed bit of flesh.
Kerrigan grins and bears it then stabs downward with his sword.
Fortitude, attack, damage (1d20+3=15, 1d20+6=19, 1d8+3=6)
'I've had sharper nips from lovers ... and their mouths were probably just as filthy,' he laughs to himself.